the story of Bilbo Baggins, a comfortloving hobbit, whos thrust into an unwanted quest for dragon treasure with a group of dwarves. He faces all manner of hardships, from orcs to hostile elves to giant spiders.
Finally the group of adventurers reaches
their destination: the mountain lair of Smaug the Dragon. Bilbo enters the dragons lair through a secret door in the mountainside. All the dwarves are waiting outside, and Bilbo has to face the dragon alone. As he makes his way through the dark tunnel, he hears what sounds like a kettle bubbling on the stove. That sound grows into what sounds like a giant cat purring. Suddenly Bilbo realizes that hes hearing the sound of the dragon snoring in the cave.
Bilbo is petrified. He wants nothing more than
to turn back, and he nearly does; but then he decides to go on. Tolkien writes, Going on from there was the bravest thing he ever did. The tremendous things that happened afterward were as nothing compared to it. He fought the real battle in the tunnel alone, before he ever saw the vast danger that lay in wait.
We all face challenges where we want to run
away before weve even had a chance to see whats ahead. Dealing with dragons (or other scary obstacles) takes a whole lot of courage. As strong as we are, or try to be, we often lack the mettle that wed need to overcome. So where can we find the courage to face lifes challenges?
We can have courage because God is with us. He doesnt send
us out to face our dragons alone. Hes right there with us, backing us up, not only ready to give us strength and courage, but also promising to meet us there and carry us through. Once youve asked God for courage, you have to choose to use it, even if you dont feel courageous. It will be there for you as you step out. If you dont have a ton of courage right now, thats okay. Often, courage is simply putting one foot in front of the other, taking small, sometimes even tiny, steps forward. Every time you make a brave choice, youre strengthening your courage and preparing for the bigger challenges ahead. Courage begins as a decision and grows as you consistently use it.
Bilbo had been building up his courage little by
little throughout his journey. He fought fearsome enemies and won. He tackled difficult problems and found solutions. Each time he faced a challenge bravely, it was an investment in courage; and those investments paid off when it came time to face the dragon. The Kings Guard of ancient Greece had a motto: All men have fears, but the brave put down their fears and go forward. So face your dragons boldly.
- www.freekidstories.org The Hobbit artwork originally drawn by Tolkein; used under CC license. Other art TFI. Text courtesy of Activated magazine; used with permission.